[e-drug] Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs

["Frank Komakoma" <fkoma@yahoo.com>]

E-DRUG: Patients behaviour when purchasing/obtaining drugs
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I just wanted to share with you some of the patients' behaviour that I have experienced while working in community and hospital pharmacy in my country.

Patients prefer to use drugs that they have previously used or that they have used for quite a long  time, especially if the drugs worked well with them and hence when the products are no longer available in the market for any reason (like what happened with Nimesulide) they become so disappointed and may disagree with whatever advice/option you are giving until they are sure that they cannot get them anymore.

 The negative part of this behaviour is that unlawfully businessmen continue to import the drugs patients want, illegally, making the job of regulatory authorities a bit complicated.

Patients always struggle to get the same name (brand) as it has been written by the prescriber.They do not change their mindset easily in the sense of accepting a substitute or a very similar product in terms of active ingredient from a different company.The negative part of this is that patients delay treatment until they get the same product or until they are sure that they can no longer receive the product because it is not iin the market.

Patients prefer using branded drugs from Europe (such as Nexium, Viagra, Zantac, Duracef, Augmentin, etc...) than generic versions from India, Malaysia, etc...unless the costs are too high for them or they are not available at all. The negative part of this is that sometimes we subject them to unnecessary expenses when we have the brand in stock and they have money in their pockets.

Can anyone inform me if the same behaviours  exist at your settings?

Some may argue that these issues can be encountered through patients education programs either at the clinic, pharmacy or elsewhere. However, healthcare providers have limited time to educate the patients due to the queue at the clinics, patients condition that sometimes need urgent attention, low motivation in terms of salaries, etc...

Can any one give suggestions on any other best ways of educating patients that has been useful, excluding TV and Radio spots because of the obstacles such as high costs, absence of them in some rural areas and lack of details on the adverts due to limited time of airing the spots or programme? 
 
Frank Komakoma
Pharmacist
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania
Frank Komakoma <fkoma@yahoo.com>